Lady Bulldogs wrangle Lady Westerners

Alexis Cubit, Herald Sports Editor

Updated
11:14 pm CDT, Friday, March 22, 2019

PLAINVIEW – Just as the Plainview Lady Bulldogs softball team started fixing up the field and clearing the dugout, lightning began. The timing couldn’t have been more perfect as the Lady Bulldogs were able to get in a key 7-2 District 3-5A win over the Lubbock High Lady Westerners on Friday.

With forecasts suggesting bad weather for Friday earlier in the week, the contest was a gameday decision that just so happened to work out.

“It was nice to get a good district win in,” Lady Bulldogs head coach Johnny Hill said. “Glad the weather held off, so we didn’t have to play Monday.”

The Lady Bulldogs took full advantage of good weather and limited the Lady Westerners after an early lead.

The Lady Westerners had the 2-1 advantage after 3 1/2 innings when the Lady Bulldogs used a few Lubbock High errors for a three-run fourth inning.

Lady Westerners pitcher K’Lee Flores started out strong, striking out the Lady Bulldogs’ first two batters, but the first error of the inning on a pop-up put Mariah Chavez on first. Haley Pauda notched a base hit and ended up on third base after the Lady Westerners’ attempts to get her and Chavez, who beat the throw home, out were unsuccessful.

Plainview Lady Bulldogs third baseman Lauren Alderete (left) fires a throw to first base for the out as pitcher Esme Lucio (2) ducks down and shortstop Jenna Sepeda (right) looks on during a District 3-5A softball game against Lubbock High on Friday in Plainview. less

Plainview Lady Bulldogs third baseman Lauren Alderete (left) fires a throw to first base for the out as pitcher Esme Lucio (2) ducks down and shortstop Jenna Sepeda (right) looks on during a District 3-5A ... more

Photo: Courtesy Of Curtis Bailey

Photo: Courtesy Of Curtis Bailey

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Plainview Lady Bulldogs third baseman Lauren Alderete (left) fires a throw to first base for the out as pitcher Esme Lucio (2) ducks down and shortstop Jenna Sepeda (right) looks on during a District 3-5A softball game against Lubbock High on Friday in Plainview. less

Plainview Lady Bulldogs third baseman Lauren Alderete (left) fires a throw to first base for the out as pitcher Esme Lucio (2) ducks down and shortstop Jenna Sepeda (right) looks on during a District 3-5A ... more

Photo: Courtesy Of Curtis Bailey

Lady Bulldogs wrangle Lady Westerners

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Morgan Price, Pauda’s courtesy runner, took care of the final 90 feet and scored on a wild pitch. Shortly thereafter, Hannah Reyes, who walked to get on, gave the Lady Bulldogs the 4-2 lead on Aaleah Rodriguez’s RBI base hit.

Rodriguez scored the Lady Bulldogs’ final run of the game in the sixth inning on Jenna Sepeda’s single.

Sepeda hit a leadoff double in the inning before and produced her first run of the game on Chavez’s sacrifice fly. Esme Lucio, who earned her eighth win of the season on the mound, supplied the second run of the fifth inning via Pauda’s second hit of the day.

Lucio racked up 10 strikeouts while holding the Lady Westerners’ bats in check with two earned runs on five hits and a walk.

Hill said his team’s focus heading into the district game against the Lady Westerners was to put the ball in play and be aggressive on the bases.

“That was our goal, and we went and accomplished it. We came through with some big plays,” he added.

Rodriguez helped the effort with two runs scored, another batted in and went 3-for-4 hitting with three stolen bases. The Lady Bulldogs tallied 11 hits in the game.

Reyes contributed a run scored and came in during the bottom of the fourth inning for starting catcher Jayda Brooks, who Hill said was pulled after getting hit in the mask.

“We had the trainer check her out and she (Brooks) checked out okay,” Hill explained. “We just left her out as a precaution because we’ll need her tomorrow.”

UP NEXT

Plainview (10-13-1, 3-3) has a quick turnaround and plays its second district game in as many days by going to Lubbock-Cooper on Saturday.

“It puts stress on the pitcher, you know, you pitch one night then you turn around and play the next day – pitchers and catchers. We’re set to get on a bus here in 12 hours,” Hill said Friday night. “It’s just the way realignment was.”

After the back-to-back weekend games, the Lady Bulldogs will stay home this week to play Coronado on Tuesday and Caprock next Friday.

PLAYER OF THE GAME

Jenna Sepeda (P)

3-for-4, 2 doubles, 2 RBI, run scored

Plainview Lady Bulldog Jenna Sepeda discusses the weather’s role in today’s game and taking the lead after Lubbock scored first. pic.twitter.com/TyU98bDKgW